By Peter Luzinda
Zanzibar, Tanzania
Hafidh Ameir Hassan, husband to Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, has died at a hospital in Zanzibar, authorities have announced.
Mr Ameir died at 8am on Monday, September 7, 2026 at Emilio Mzena Memorial Hospital, where he had been receiving treatment for a heart condition, Vice-President Deogratius Ndejembi said.
Funeral preparations were immediately set in motion in Kizimkazi, a village in Zanzibar, following the announcement of his death.
Mr Ameir was an agricultural academic who maintained a largely private life despite his wife’s rise to the presidency. He rarely appeared at public functions and generally stayed away from the political spotlight.
His wife became Tanzania’s president in March 2021 after the death of President John Magufuli, making Mr Ameir the country’s first First Gentleman.
The two married in 1978, long before Ms Samia entered national politics. Their marriage produced four children, three sons and a daughter.
Their daughter, Wanu Hafidh Ameir, is active in politics and serves in Zanzibar’s House of Representatives.
Mr Ameir’s professional life was largely centred on agriculture and academia. He remained a low-profile figure during his wife’s tenure, even as she became one of East Africa’s most prominent political leaders.
